Real History:
* The Trojan War: The Trojan War is believed to have happened around the 13th century BC, though its historical accuracy is debated.
* Achilles: The story of Achilles, a legendary Greek warrior, is a core element of the Iliad.
* Hector: Hector was the Trojan prince and a formidable warrior.
* The Siege of Troy: The Iliad focuses on the siege of Troy by the Greeks, culminating in its destruction.
Fictional Elements in the Movie "Troy":
* The Characters: While the movie features characters from the Iliad, their personalities and relationships are often changed for dramatic purposes. For instance, Achilles and Patroclus's relationship is more explicitly romantic in the film than in the poem.
* The Battle Scenes: The movie embellishes the battles with grand scale and exaggerated combat sequences.
* The Timeline: The movie compresses the ten-year siege of Troy into a few weeks, streamlining the plot.
* The Love Triangle: The movie introduces a love triangle between Helen, Paris, and Menelaus, which is not central to the Iliad.
* The Death of Hector: The film depicts Hector's death in a manner that differs from the Iliad.
* The Role of the Gods: While the Iliad features gods as active participants, the movie downplays their influence, focusing on human agency.
In summary:
"Troy" is a historical epic with a fictionalized narrative. While it borrows characters and events from the Iliad, it simplifies the story, changes details, and adds its own dramatic flourishes for entertainment purposes.